West Indies in new blow as Samuels handed bowling ban

DUBAI: West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels was on Sunday handed a 12-month bowling ban by the International Cricket Council for an illegal action as the beleaguered Caribbean side were dealt another blow.

Samuels, 34, had already been banned from bowling his quicker delivery in 2013 and his latest setback comes after he was forced to undergo an assessment after being reported by the umpires in the first Test defeat against Sri Lanka in Galle in October.

“The assessment (which took place in Brisbane) revealed that Samuel’s elbow extension exceeded 15 degrees while bowling and, thus, he employed an illegal bowling action,” said a statement from the Dubai-based ICC.

“As this report constitutes the player’s second suspension within a two-year period, he is now automatically suspended from bowling in international cricket for a 12-month period.”

Samuels played as a batsman only in the West Indies’ humiliating innings and 212-run loss to Australia in the first Test in Hobart which ended inside three days in Hobart on Saturday.

He has played 62 Tests for the West Indies, 177 ODIs and and 40 T20s taking 41, 85 and 19 wickets respectively with his gentle off-spin.